Connector bolt



Patented Sept. 28, 1948 UNITED I-STATES PATENT OFFICE Ford-Pennell, webs t er Groves, -M0., assignor to Jane Bootlr len-nell, WebsterGroves, Mo.

Application. September 4, 1 34%}, SerialNo. 552,613 11 Claims. 1.287-77) vThe invention relates to connectorboltsof the type used to clamp together ..w,ire s,, ca bles orjthe like serving as conductors of electricity, in which it is important that tight contact be effected so as to facilitate the flow of current iromone wire to the other.

Such bolts may be used under conditions in which the diameters and weight of the wires and the manner in which they are supported at points spaced from the .bolt may tend to. pull the wires lengthwise out of the bolt. The main objects of the present invention are to resist suchendwise relative movement of the .wires fromthe bolt and to maintain a tight contact, between the wires irrespective of endwise pull, to which the ,Wires .may be subjected.

Figure 5 is aview corresponding generallyto Figure 2 but illustrating the use-of a,Washer.assD- engage the lower portion of the periphery of wire 6. Pressure bar 1 is similarly provided with projections M in its wire-engaging recess 9 so asto engage the upper portion of the periphery of wire [0. a

,When nut 4 is rotated to move bar I towards the-bolt head, projections orri bs l3 and M will engage wires 6 and I0, indenting the surface of thelatter. as the nut is tightened so as to securely holdthe Wires, against lengthwise movement rela- :tiveto, each other and to the bolt. To insure this result, the wire-engaging elements should be of materiallwhioh is harder andstronger than the .wires. vIf the latter-are of the-material generally used in wires of this type, i. e. commercial copper,

they will have a hardness less than 90 points in ciated with the bolt shown in Figures. l ..and 2. and

placed between the wires.

The bolt proper shown in Figures 1-3- includes .-a head member l, the bolt shankbeing slotted-at 2 to provide spaced legs 3, which are threadedgfor an annular nut i. The head member is provided with a concave recess 5,- adapted to receive and seat a wire or cable '5. A pressure bar 1 is slidably engage the edges of leg 3 and prevent-movement of the pressure bar transversely of thebolt sloti.

Bar-l isprovided with a concave recess 9 opposing the bolt head recess-5 and adapted to receivea wire i0 disposed above wire 6. Ban! includes a boss H projecting upwardly through'nut L and provided with lugs l2 whiohmay be bent over the top of the nut to maintain the assembly ofthe bar and nut. All of the above described-structure is well known in bolts of this type.

The wire receiving recess 5 in head member lis provided with projections i3 preferably in the form of widely-spaced, narrow ribs extending -transversely of the length of the recess-so as; to

received between legs 3 and-has ears 8 disposed to theBrinell scalev and a tensile strength of 50,000 or 55,000 pounds per square inch. The bolt and pressurebar may be formed of a hard and strong bronze-alloy which-has a Brinell hardness of-at least points and a tensile strength, of at least 55,000. pounds per square inch. Usually the copper cablehas ,ajBrinell hardness of '75 to 85 points andthe boltand pressure bar Brinell hardness of to points.

Preferably, projections 13 are aligned, longitudinallyof the bolt, with'each other andwith the annulus of nutfi sothat the thrust between the latter and the head is in a substantially straight line through the projections, thus forcing the projections intothe wire more effectively than would ,"be, thecase if the opposing projections were offset from each other .and from the nut annulus,

lengthwise of thewires, so that the wires could distortand transfer the nut thrust direct to each othenan'd to bolt parts, at points spaced from the projections transversely of the bolt axis.

In thearrangement shown in Figure 5, a washer zfilisshown between wires 2| and.22. Preferably, thiswasher is eoncaveen its upper and lower faces toreceive .and seat around portions of the wire peripheries. Projections 23 extend transversely --of. the =concavities-of the washer to contact the adjacentwi-resand tobe forced into the same when the nut 24 is tightened. Preferably the bolt -headx25and pressure bar 26 also have projections .21,.and:28 respectively, as previously described. "Gorrespondingprojections 23, 21 and 28 should be-in substantial alignment longitudinally of the boltso as to insure the-transmission of thrusts to the wires through the projections for the reasons explained above. 0

It will be understood that the wire-engaging projections may be varied in extent and contour and that some of the projections shown may be omitted in whole or in part without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of such modifications of the structure as come within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a connector bolt, a bolt head member, spaced legs extending therefrom and arranged to receive between them wires one above the other, a member slidable along said legs towards said head member, there being means for thrusting aid member towards each other, at least one of said members having projections constructed and arranged to be forced into the peripheries of the adjacent wire to better hold the wire against being pulled endwise from the bolt, said projections being aligned with said means at points of thrust so that thrust between said means and said bolt head i in a substantially straight line longitudinally of said bolt through the projections.

2. In a connector bolt, a bolt head member having a wire-receiving recess, spaced legs extending from the head member at opposite sides of said recess, a member slidable on said legs and having a wire-receiving reces opposing said head member recess, there being means for thrusting said members toward each other,-the recesses in said members being provided with opposing projections which are in substantial alignment longitudinally of the bolt, and with said means at points of thrust, so that thrust between said means and said bolt head is in a substantially straight line longitudinally of said bolt through the projections.

3. In a connector bolt, a bolt head member having a wire-receiving recess, spaced legs extending from the head member at opposite sides of said recess, a member slidable on said legs and having a wire-receiving recess opposing said head member recess, there being means for thrusting said members towards each other, the recess in each of the members having a pair of widely spaced ridges extending transversely of the recess and the ridges in the recess of one member being disposed in substantial alignment, longitudinally of the bolt, with the corresponding ridges in the opposing recess in the other member.

4. In a connector bolt, a bolt head member, spaced legs extending therefrom, an annular nut threaded on said legs, a pressure bar member extending between said legs and slidable longitudinally of the same and movable by the nut towards the head member, said members having opposed concave faces for seating a pair of wires, one above the other, said members having narrow ridges extending transversely of the concave faces and substantially aligned longitudinally of the bolt with the nut annulus so as to be forced into the periphery of wires between the members when the nut is tightened to resist in pulling of the ridge engaged wires out of the bolt.

5. In a connector bolt, a bolt head having a wire-receiving recess, a pressure bar having a wire-receiving recess, a washer between the head and pressure bar having Wire-receiving recesses at its opposite sides opposing the wire-receiving recesses in the head and pressure bar respectively, each of said recesses having a pair of widely spaced projections, and means for thrusting the pressure bar towards the head.

6. A bolt as described in claim 5 in .which the material of the washer is harder by approximately 50 points or more in the Brinell scale than the material of the wires to be connected by the bolt.

7. In a connector bolt, a bolt head member. spaced legs extending therefrom, an annular nut threaded on said legs, a pressure bar member extending between said legs and slidable longitudinally of the same and movable by the nut towards the head member, said member having opposed concave faces for respectively seating a pair of wires, one above the other, a washer between the head and pressure bar having wirereceiving recesses at its opposite sides opposing the wire-receiving recesse in the head and pressure bar respectively and adapted to be inserted between said wires, each of said recesses having a pair of widely spaced, narrow ridges extending transversely of the concave faces and substantially aligned longitudinally of the bolt with the nut annulus so a to be formed into the surfaces of wires seated in the recesses when the nut is tightened and thereby resist pulling of the ridge engaged wires out of the bolt.

8. In a connector bolt, a shank, a bolt head at one end thereof having a wire-receiving recess, a pressure bar having a wire-receiving recess, a nut threaded on the other end of the shank and bearing against the pressure bar, a washer between the head and pressure bar having wirereceiving recesses at its opposite sides opposing the wire-receiving recesses in the head and pressure bar respectively, the washer having widely spaced portions projecting from its wire-receiving recesses so as to be forced into the periphery of the wires when the nut is screwed towards the bolt head to better hold the wires against being moved lengthwise relative to each other.

9. In a connector bolt, a bolt head member, spaced legs extending therefrom and arranged to receive between them wires one above the other, a member slidable along said legs towards said head member, there being means for thrusting said members towards each other, at least one of said members having projections constructed and arranged to be forced into the peripheries of the adjacent wire to better hold the wire against being pulled endwise from the bolt, the material forming the wire-engaging projections being harder by at least 50 points on the Brinell scale than the material of the wires to be connected by the bolt.

10. In a connector bolt, a bolt head member, spaced legs extending therefrom and arranged to receive between them wires one above the other, a member slidable along said legs towards said head member, there being means for thrusting said member towards each other, at least one of said members having projections constructed and arranged to be forced into the peripheries of the adjacent wire to better hold the wire against being pulled endwise from the bolt, the material forming the wire-engaging projections being characterized by a hardness of at least points on the Brinell scale.

11. In a connector bolt, a bolt head member having a wire-receiving recess, spaced legs extending from the head member at opposite sides of said recess, a member slidable on said legs and having a wire-receiving recess opposing said head member recess, there being means for thrusting said members toward each other, the recesse in said members being provided with opposing projections which are in substantial alignment longitudinally of the bolt, said memhers being of a material characterized by a hardness of at least 90 points on the Brinell scale file of this patent: 653,044

UNITED STATES PATENTS and having a tensi 1e strength of at least 65,000 gzg fiig: et a1 3 Pounds Per Square 2,068,152 Rowe Jan, 19, 1931 FORD PENNELL. 5 2,211,856 Kreidel Aug. 20, 1940 2,249,492 Pennell July 15, 1941 REFERENCES CITED FOREIGN PATENTS The following references are of record in the Number Country Date Germany Nov. 12, 1937 

